Frustration
by system.out.println
Summary: A fallen angel joins the Grancypher crew but his troublesome demeanor is proving too much for his captain to handle.
1. Disgust

Djeeta failed to realize what was in store for her when she accepted the fallen angel into the crew of the Grancypher. Every crew member so far had been friendly and obedient under her leadership, following her every beck and call as they traversed the skies. This time, however, was different. Any and all incidents between crew members had always been under her control. This time was different.

"Welcome aboard, Belial!" she said gleefully, stretching out her hand to shake the hand of her newest crew member. "Nice to have you!"

"I will be under your loving guidance, dear captain," replied Belial slowly, his voice dripping with masculine allure. He bent down on one knee and took his captain's outstretched hand and kissed the back of her gauntlet.

The other crew members gasped in shock. This brazen attitude was not the kind of impression a new recruit should have. Djeeta herself was outwardly unfazed by this action but deep down, she felt something stir within, something terrible. She was unsure of what it was - perhaps some kind of primal disgust even though a layer of metal was separating her hand from his lips. If not for the cost of having to buy new gauntlets, she would have burned them on the spot or thrown them overboard into the clouds below. Not wanting to spoil everyone's image of their beloved captain, she merely winced as she pulled out her hand from his grasp.

She watched as he gracefully stood up. She could not help but look at his well-sculpted form, just barely covered with his gaudy feather-adorned coat, fastened by a single button across his otherwise fully exposed abdomen. She was vexed by her inability to avert her eyes. She was able to move her gaze but only to traverse them down from his shoulders, down to his pectorals, down to the gold chains that wrapped around his waist, and further down still...

"What am I doing?" she asked herself, finally snapping out of her daze. She realized she was already looking down at the airship's deck. She shook her head and looked back at Belial's face smiling back at him. She grimaced as though having eaten a sour plum whole and looked to the side, breaking eye contact.

"Ehh... riiight" she replied feebly, feigning her composure. "Just don't do that again, okay?" He merely smirked in reply.

She didn't want to regret her decision in accepting him to the crew. She wanted to see the potential in every new member of her crew, be it Human, Draph, Erune, or anyone and so far, it had always paid off. This, however, might be the first time she would get more than what she had bargained for.


	2. Distaste

A few weeks had passed since Belial joined the crew. As much as Djeeta believed that he was fitting in well with the others, she was still being plagued by the inexplicable foreboding she felt. As she was trying to sort out her feelings on the matter, a girl dressed in a white dress approached her.

"Djeeta, are you okay? What's wrong?" asked a worrying Lyria. She and Djeeta had been together since the start of their adventures across the skies. On top of the fact that their souls are literally melded together, Lyria had known Djeeta for a long time that she can tell whenever something is off.

"I'm fine, Lyria. Thanks for asking," Djeeta reassured her. She sat down on her bed in the Captain's quarters. Lyria sat right beside her and held Djeeta's hand. "I just can't shake this feeling these past few weeks..."

"It's about Belial, right?"

There was a pause, then Djeeta sighed. "I guess I can't hide it from you, can I? Is it because of the 'soul' thing?"

Lyria shook her head and smiled. "I can't read your thoughts. You just make it too obvious. Anyone close to you can tell. So what's the problem? You can tell me."

The two girls looked at each other in the eyes. Djeeta gazed at Lyria's gentle smile. The former sighed. She found her innocent gaze soothing, like a ray of light shining through the darkness on her heart. It was almost a mystery how a girl with such a troubled past have her own heart be free of malice, similarly mysterious as to how the same fragile-looking girl has the power to bring forth destruction in her wake.

Djeeta did not want to tell anyone - even Lyria, who was one of her closest confidants - that she was harboring a deep-seated negative feeling towards someone, a crew member, no less. As she struggled to find the words to express herself, the very feelings she was trying to suppress seethed within her. "I..."

Just as she was about to say a word, three loud knocks were heard from the door, startling the two.

"Captain!" yelled a voice of a crewman from behind the door. "Trouble on the stern deck!"

"What is it?" asked Djeeta.

"It's Belial."

That name again. Djeeta's fear had finally come true. Any calm that Lyria's presence had instilled in her had vanished with just the mention of that name. The two girls stood up and rushed outside the quarters.

Upon reaching the stern deck, they were greeted by a troublesome predicament. There stood Belial, with his usual smug look on his face. Resting on his chin was a blade, a rapier to be more precise, and it was held by a furious-looking lady clad in shining armor and a long blue cape. It was Katalina, looking eager to draw blood. The helmsman Rackam stood there aghast, unable to do anything.

"Oh dear captain! You've arrived just in time!" said Belial, with total disregard of the steel slowly digging into his skin.

"Silence, vermin!" said Katalina calmly but angrily.

"Put your sword down, Katalina," said Djeeta. "Let me handle this."

"Yeah. You heard the captain, Katalina," mocked Belial, tapping his fingers at the tip of her sword. "Take this sword away so we can..."

It happened too fast. Katalina, with her temper already flaring, rose to Belial's provocation and drew back her rapier for a thrust. Without hesitation, Djeeta drew her own sword and delivered a wide upward cut aimed at the rapier. Steel met steel, then the swords sang, and the rapier was sent flying towards the main deck, embedding itself into the wood with a loud thunk.

"Ah thank you, captain!" Belial continued. "You saved me. If you hadn't done that, who knows what would've..."

"Shut up, Belial," interrupted Djeeta, sheathing her weapon. The seething anger she felt earlier in her quarters almost started to manifest. She breathed deeply to calm herself down. "One more word and It will be my sword to your face next."

Belial merely nodded in silence, obeying his captain's orders. Lyria teared up and rushed towards Katalina and embraced her, her tears running down the latter's armor.

"Katalina, what happened?" continued Djeeta.

"This vermin was acting too familiar with me," answered Katalina. "He... t-touched my waist."

Djeeta knew all too well what Katalina experienced. It was only a few weeks ago when she experienced it firsthand with the kiss on her gauntlet. She knew what the fallen angel's sickening charm could do to her heart. She knew that his touch could seemingly penetrate steel plate but somehow, learning that it also happened to someone else gave a deeper, stronger, more gut-wrenching feeling than before.

"Get some rest, Katalina," said Djeeta. "Lyria, you should go with her. I will deal with Belial myself. Everyone else, return to your posts."

After a chorus of "Aye, captain", Katalina left with a still crying Lyria in her arms, picking up her rapier on the way back. Rackam went back to the ship's wheel and everyone else returned to their duties. Only Djeeta and Belial remained in their original positions.

"Explain yourself," Djeeta told Belial. She kept a stern yet kind voice, befitting of a captain.

"I was only admiring Katalina's armor," said Belial as he rolled his eyes. "That's all. I swear!"

"You didn't have to touch her armor while she's wearing it! Women find that creepy and gross!"

"Do you?"

"Of course, I do. If you do that again, I'll be..."

She paused. In a split-second back there, she realized that she should stop herself from saying what she was supposed to say. It sounded natural in her head while she was thinking it but realized that she was succumbing to the bitter feeling she has been harboring. Belial was bewildered at the sudden pause but then twisted his mouth into a smile. He approached her and brushed his fingers on her cheek.

"Ah! I get it! You'll be... oof!" Djeeta delivered a swift punch to Belial's bare abdomen before he could finish his sentence.

"Comsider that your punishment for harassing Katalina."

"At least remove the gauntlets first!" Belial yelped in pain.

Djeeta left Belial on the stern deck to reel in pain and headed back to her quarters. She collapsed onto her bed and took off her gauntlets, boots, and sword belt. She heaved a breath and stared at the ceiling.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. The bitter feeling from earlier emerged once again within her but this time, it seemed to be in a place lower than her gut. She tried to find it, the new source of this bitterness. She closed her eyes once more and envisioned Belial's face in her mind, a face she was disgusted in. She rested her right hand on her thighs and slowly crept it up her skirt. Her hand reached the space inbetween her thighs. She found it.

She pulled on the strings that fastened her underwear to her hips and began exploring this source. Her fingers came in contact with her already moist flesh. She felt good. She felt like she was expelling the pent-up negativity inside her whenever she pinched that small bump. Her fingers then crept a little further down trying to reach her own innermost depths. Just a little further, she thought. As she breathed rhythmically, she let out Belial's name in whispers.

Then, she felt a small jolt of electricity run through her body. Her free hand and her toes were clenching the bedsheets as her whole body arched itself back, jerking her hips in the air. She bit on her lip to suppress the overwhelming urge to scream out loud. It was coming out - the feeling that she had been repressing behind her captainly demeanor came out like an unstoppable fountain.

Her body, sapped of its strength, fell back onto the bed. She felt her whole body pulsating with warmth in sync with her heartbeat. She opened her eyes and gasped for air. She pulled out her right hand and watched it glisten, with strings of her nectar stretching inbetween her fingers like a spider's silk. She looked at each individual strand in what appeared to be wonder or admiration, like a painter finally finishing her masterpiece. She felt all her hatred and feelings of disgust leave her body, even for just a moment.

She touched the part of her cheek that Belial touched earlier as she remembered what they both almost said:

"If you do that again, I'll be..."

"Ah! I get it! You'll be..."

The words escaped her mouth. "I'll be... jealous?"


	3. Dishonesty

"He's been a menace ever since that incident with Katalina!"

"I hear you! Some of the Erune girls told me he touched their backs. Told them he was asking how Erunes don't get cold in those outfits."

"Well, I heard he does that to the Erune guys as well so I guess..."

"That only makes him worse! Not better!"

"How do you suggest we put an end to this?"

"Let's recruit some male Draphs as bouncers. Have them beat some sense into him."

"We can't just recruit members for that. Besides, he'll probably just enjoy it."

"I suggest we expel him from the Grancypher! For the good of everyone in the crew! Throw him overboard! Make him twice-fallen!"

"No, I won't allow that," said Djeeta. "We don't expel crew members here and we certainly don't throw people overboard."

"Maybe I can talk to him about it!"

"No, Lyria! He'll grope you too! He gropes anyone! He even touched Rackam's butt one time!"

"No, he did not touch my butt!"

"I'll talk to him," said Djeeta. "Captain's duty to talk to the crew and all that."

The meeting was adjourned without coming to a satisfactory resolution on how to deal with Belial's attitude. One by one, they stood up and left the restaurant, leaving only Djeeta and Katalina.

"Captain," said Katalina. "I think it would be better if you kept your distance from him. You are a kind captain and he would use that against you."

"Thank you for your concern," replied Djeeta. "But I will do what I must. I am captain, after all." After that short exchange, they both went their separate ways for the evening.

The Grancypher was docked in Port Breeze. While the rest of the crew was busy loading supplies in the airship, Djeeta and her closest companions were at the restaurant discussing important matters, the issue with Belial being one of them. After the meeting, everyone was given free time for themselves.

It was already deep into the night by the time the conversation ended. She felt like enjoying the city a little more, as she would be spending most of her time back in the airship otherwise. She walked alone in the streets of Port Breeze, passing through the shops that were closing for the night. She could hear the nightly insects chirping.

As she was walking, she was a couple walking together from a distance. The guy was tall, dressed in black and the girl was... short, blue-haired, and dressed in white...

The seething negative feelings from before were starting to boil over. The annoyance and vexation tirned into sheer hatred in her heart. Djeeta could not contain herself any longer. The incident with Katalina was one thing; Katalina was able to defend herself easily. This time was different. Djeeta was witnessing the object of her hatred talking casually with a defenseless Lyria, alone. Her heart pumped furiously. She breathed in with all the strength she could muster.

"BELIAL!" she screamed, emptying her lungs. She ran with alarming speed towards the two, who had both turned at the sound of her calling his name.

"Djeeta!" yelped Lyria. "Stop! You're mistaken!" Her words had proven to be useless to stop Djeeta, whose face was then contorted with anger.

Djeeta raised her fist and lunged toward Belial, who grit his teeth for the inevitable. The fist collided with the face and the momentum from the running lunge sent Belial flying backwards - twice his height from where he stood.

"Nice punch, captain!" he said jokingly as he tried to sit up. Djeeta pulled back her arm for another punch but was stopped by Lyria.

"Stop!" she cried, embracing Djeeta. "He wasn't doing anything wrong! I was just talking to him. He never touched me."

Hearing those words did not just calm Djeeta down, but it also immediately filled her heart with regret. Her knees lost their strength and she was sat on the ground. Her mind was being filled by mixed emotions and swirling thoughts. Hate. Anger. Resentment. Regret. Sadness. Pain. Relief. Her eyes stared into the nothingness. She sat still, not knowing what to feel, not knowing what to think.

Her silence was broken when a hand entered her view. She had been blankly staring at the ground for a whole minute already. Belial had already recovered from his fall and was now offering her his hand.

"Let's go back, shall we, captain?" he asked, without a shred of malice or his usual sickening allure in his voice. It was made of refreshing sincerity, something Djeeta found unfamiliar coming from him. She took his hand with slight hesitation and felt him lift her whole weight from the ground.

"Ouch!" yelped Belial. "This hurts more than your punch!"

"Don't be such a baby," replied Djeeta as she applied antiseptic onto his face. "This is your fault, to begin with."

"My fault? You're the one who punched me. With gauntlets!"

"Admit it. You enjoyed it."

The two of them were bsck in the Grancypher, in Belial's quarters. Lyria went ahead to sleep in her own quarters while Djeeta stayed to treat Belial's injury. He sat on his bed while she sat across him on a chair.

"Now drink a healing potion for your bruises and you'll be fine."

"Thank you, captain."

The room fell silent after she put the first aid kit back on the table. This silence became the perfect environment for her thoughts and inner negativity to start seething again. After all, she was in the room of someone she did not have high opinions for, with the very person in question.

"I guess I finally caught your attention now?" said Belial, breaking the silence. It was back; that disgusting charm in his voice was back.

"Attention? What do you mean?"

Belial stared into Djeeta's eyes and reached for her chin, moving her face closer. He leaned in closer and pressed his lips against hers. Upon feeling the soft sensation on her lips, she immediately pushed him back, knocking him back to the bed.

Apart from that brief fit of anger, she remained calm and even sported a straight face. For the first time since she met him, her thoughts became clear to her. It was not disgust or jealousy. It was frustration, plain and simple. She wanted him for her own and her inability to sort through her own feelings led to hatred and anger.

She stood from her seat and climbed onto the bed. She drew her sword and pointed the tip at Belial's throat. As though not sensing a threat to his life, he smirked and locked eyes with her.

"Why did you do that?" she asked. "What were you doing with Lyria late at night? Why do you keep harassing my crew? Speak!"

"I was trying to get your attention," he replied calmly. "I flirted with everyone because I wanted your attention. Lyria wanted to talk to me about it earlier and so I used her to get to you. And here you are!"

"Your flattery won't work on me."

"I tried."

"You're the worst. Do you know that?"

"I did fall from grace, didn't I?"

"I hate you."

"Yes, I know."

Djeeta dropped her sword on the floor and grabbed Belial by the collar of his coat with both hands. She pulled his face closer and straddled him by the hips. Their faces were so close to each other that they could feel each other's breaths.

"I... hate... you."

"I know."

"Shut up."

She pulled him closer and planted her lips upon his. She closed her eyes and pulled him even closer, his coat on the verge of tearing. She moved her lips around, coating both his and hers with the cocktail of their saliva. Belial tilted his head slightly and opened his mouth to invade her mouth with his tongue. She welcomed the forceful entry only to aggressively entangle his tongue with her own.

As they locked tongues, he wrapped his arms around her waist, laying his hands on different areas of her back. She hastily removed her gauntlets without breaking the kiss and flung them across the room. She then placed her now bare hands on his neck and the back of his head and forcefully pulled him deeper into the kiss, their tongues now able to reach the furthest recesses of each other's mouths.

She then unbuttoned his coat, which was easy since his coat only had one button. Her eyes were closed but it was though she could see with her hands as they traversed his abs, then up his chest, then his shoulders. They then crawled down his arms, implanting the image of his biceps into her mind and removing his coat at the same time.

She released herself from the tongue locking, struggling to catch her breath. A bridge made of their saliva was formed between their tongues and later snapped. She opened her eyes to let them see what her hands were already familiar with: Belial's half-naked form. Her eyes beheld his formerly angelic but still divine figure encased in pale unblemished skin, almost like a white marble sculpture. Not wanting to waste any time, the owner of the body undid his belt and the other golden adornments around his waist.

She pulled up her blouse by the skirt and raised it above her head, adding it to the now growing pile of discarded equipment. She covered her front with one arm and looked to the side, seemingly embarrassed. He gently touched her hand to reassure her. He then peeled away her arm, revealing her own unclothed form to him.

"You're beautiful," said Belial without a second thought.

"Shut up," replied Djeeta, feigning immunity from his flattery, though the blush on her face betrayed her true feelings.

He proceeded to slowly reach his hands to both sides of her waist. Her skin was smooth and his hands glided effortlessly across the curvature of her body, as opposed to his defined cuts and angles. His hands moved up her waist, reaching her breasts. She let out a muffled moan the moment his fingers reached her peaks.

He looked down and noticed that her panties were tied to the sides of her hips in ribbons. He looked up and she gave a silent nod of approval. He slowly pulled the ribbon from her left side and it came undone. Now one side of her body was fully shown, unbroken by cloth from her shouler to her thighs, as her thigh-high boots were still equipped. He ignored the other side and left it still attached. She then unzipped his pants and tugged on it a little.

She laid her hand on his abs and reached for what was underneath it. It was already as hard, further giving the impression that he was made of marble. She raised her hips and positioned herself directly above him.

"Are you ready?" asked Belial.

"Shut up," replied Djeeta.

She grabbed his hardened shaft and slowly lowered her hips. She felt it touch the source of moisture she previously explored with her fingers. As she descended further, she realized that it was bigger than the one or two fingers she used, opening her up. She bit her lip as she sank further down, finally reaching the base and connecting their hips. It hit the regions her fingers were unable to reach.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Just... shut... up," she forced through labored breathing.

She raised her hips, careful not to break their connection. She then slammed herself down, letting out a full open-mouthed moan. She repeated this several times until her hips were unable to take further strain. She then felt an unexpected but familiar jolt of pleasure. Belial's tongue was caressing her peaks, as though partaking in her sweat, alternating from the left to the right. His hands went underneath her thighs and lifted her up, continuing the cycle. She held desperately onto his shoulders for support. She felt her skin tingle as his lips travelled from her breast all the way up her neck and her ears, licking off more of her sweat.

"Ah! Belial!" she moaned. "It feels so good!" He, on the other hand, was completely silent. She hated him; she knew that she hated him. She hated him so much that she grabbed a fistful of his hair and maneuvered his head to where she wanted to be licked, finally leading back to her lips where they sparred with their tongues once again, fueled by her pent-up aggression towards him. "I hate you," she growled, but he replied with silence.

Then, she felt it. It was coming; she felt an impending wave fast approaching. Belial suddenly picked up the pace. She braced for it but she then realized that bracing for it was futile. The wave crashed down on her; her mind and body were overwhelmed by the sensations. She figured biting her own lip would not suffice to muffle her scream so she went ahead and bit whatever else was directly in front of her, Belial's shoulder. She sank her teeth into his flesh like a ravenous wolf. She then felt a surge of warmth burst into her insides, making her twitch and gasp for air.

The wave finally stopped. She rested her forehead on the shoulder she bit as she caught her breath. Belial collapsed backwards back into the bed, taking her with him. She disconnected herself from him and rolled over to his side, resting her head on his arm. She felt his warm essence gush forth and dribble down on her thigh.

As her strength escaped her, so too did her hatred. For the first time, since she met Belial, she felt relief, as though reaching some kind of resolution in her mind. Her heart was now finally satisfied, being purged of frustration, at least for the moment. Slowly, she drifted out of consciousness.

"You are not to speak of this to anyone, understand?" said Djeeta, tying back what Belial had untied earlier. She stood up and looked for her blouse she threw.

"Yeah, sure," he replied. He lay on his bed, resting his head on his hands.

"And you should apologize to your crewmates. For now on, no more flirting. Is that clear?"

"I'll try."

"And one last thing, if possible..." she said wearing her blouse and the rest of her equipment. She looked back at Belial one more time.

"What's that?"

"When it's just the two of us, call me by my name."

"Sure thing... Djeeta." Belial's voice once again oozed with that charm, and for the first time, Djeeta was undisturbed by it, not even in the slightest.


	4. Disarray

The quest was to gather items in a distant forest island. Djeeta thought it was a quest rewarding enough despite its ease and safety. They needed the items for upgrade catalysts, as crafting materials, and for trading when they return to the cities.

The airship went its course and it landed safely in the middle of a wide enough clearing in the forest. Djeeta ordered the crew to split up into small groups of three or four. The groups were then assigned in different areas to get the job done as quickly as possible so they could leave by sunset. However in her party, she ended up with just one other person.

"So... why are there only two of us in our group?" asked Belial as they hiked to their designated spot. He looked around the thick forest and saw nothing of interest.

"Many reasons," replied Djeeta. "One, you still creep people out and I can't have you bothering them; two, someone has to keep watch over you; and three..."

They eventually reached their assigned location. It was a thicket dense with towering trees and large boulders. There were animals but none threatening enouhj to warrant a battle stance. Djeeta inspected one of the boulders and chipped away a small iridescent crystal effortlessly with just her gauntlets.

"We need some crystals like these," she ordered. "Get going, crew!"

"Aye, aye," he replied unenthusiastically.

After a few minutes of searching in silence, the two of them managed to gather several crystals similar to the one Djeeta had acquired. Belial, bored, stood up from his slouching position and approached his captain.

"So what's the third reason?" he asked.

"What 'third reason'?"

"You said you had three reasons why there's just the two of us in our team. You stopped at the third."

"Oh! You meant 'that'. Well... I guess I forgot!"

Belial slammed his hand onto the tree Djeeta laid her back on, hitting just beside her head. His other hand reached for her chin. He then leaned closer, their noses just barely touching. She tried to avoid his gaze, chasing with her eyes imaginary squirrels that leapt over the tree branches.

"You aren't being honest with yourself, are you, Djeeta?" he asked. Djeeta trembled at his words, but not with fear.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I'll make you talk."

He placed his hand on Djeeta's thigh and made his way up her skirt. Already familiar as to what was underneath it, he reached to find the ribbon on the side of her hip and pulled on it. She panicked at the sudden looseness of her panties and fidgeted her hands around her skirt.

"You!" she breathed aloud. "What are you doing? What are you..."

Before she could say another word, he placed his fingers in the cavity between her legs and started stroking her gently. She held ber breath, breathing only with near silent gasps as he twirled his finger around, toying with a small bump hidden inbetween her folds.

"No!" she gasped. "Not there! That's where..."

Her pleas fell on deaf ears as Belial gave that little bump a gentle pinch with his fingers. She screamed and immediately covered her mouth to prevent any further noise.

"No need to do that," he said. "No one is around. You can scream all you want." She took her hand off her mouth and laid it on the tree on her back. He continued his motions, running his fingers down her folds before entering her cavern. With no hands to cover her mouth, she let out a full moan.

"It is totally different to how I do it myself," she thought. His fingers were graceful as they glided inside her, her nectar aiding his effort. Suddenly, he gave her walls a hard press, sending her writhing in ecstasy where she stood, moaning, not knowing where to put her hands. She was like a helpless puppet, obeying his every whim.

He knelt down on the ground and dived his head into his skirt. At first, she had no idea what he was trying to do, only realizing what it was once she felt a surge of warm pleasure that made her squirm with excitement. It was his tongue. The sensation of his warm tongue was even stronger than mere fingers. Her body convulsed to his every motion, be it tongue or finger. Her legs felt weak, edging further apart. Belial then held up one of Djeeta's legs into the air, allowing him better control of his handiwork.

She was about to come. Djeeta grabbed onto his hair with both hands as though bracing for an incoming airship collision. She arched her back and pushed her hips forward. As though his tongue had pressed a switch, out came a torrent of her nectar. She let out an uncharacteristic howl as pleasure surged throughout her body. Belial let go of her leg and caught her collapsing frame into his arms.

"I doubt you're satisfied with just that," he said. "There's more to come... only if you tell me what you want."

"What?" she asked, her speech slightly slurred with her mind still foggy from the recent surge of pleasure. "What do I want?"

"You have to tell me. Why did you plan for us to be alone?"

She held her breath. She was reluctant to voice her intentions. She felt annoyed that she was being teased, but her heart also pumped excitedly, looking forward for what was to come. "I wanted to be alone with you so we can do this," she said. "We can't be loud in the airship but we can right here."

"Please be specific, Djeeta."

"I want you... inside me!" she yelled. "Mess me up! Make me scream!" She realized later what she had just said, embarrassed at her sudden honesty.

"Alright then... stand up and place your hands on that tree."

Djeeta did as she was told. Her legs regained some of their strength so she stood up and placed her hands on the tree she was resting on earlier. She ended up bending over forward, a position Belial was keen on taking advantage of.

He unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants, dropping them down to his thighs. The fallen angel's full length penetrated Djeeta in an instant and his girth spread her open, making her let out another deep moan. His flesh felt hot inside hers and she felt it warm up even more when he moved his hips in a thrusting motion, grabbing her hips to make them move as he did. She pushed against the tree, allowing him to push harder and deeper inside of her. As he picked up the pace, the forest was filled with her moans and the indecent sound of their flesh clapping against each other.

She came again. She moaned through clenched teeth, now helpless against the second surge she was feeling. She felt as though she was melting, her body being sapped of more of its strength than before. She panted heavily, not caring about the saliva dripping from her mouth. She wanted to collapse badly onto the ground. Her hands started to loosen their grip on the tree.

"I'm not done yet, though," said Belial. "It's not fair that you already came twice while I haven't yet."

"Wait, are you serious?" she asked, but those words never left her mouth. She was too exhausted to speak. His words invoked fear into her; she was not confident about lasting another round. However, that fear also came with excitement. She wanted it. She summoned her last stores of stamina and forced a single syllable with her breath: "more".

Belial caught her body from behind by the arms as Djeeta finally lost her grip on the tree. Their arms were locked together by the wrists. Her body was now dangling like a half-raised drawbridge. He heaved forward; her upper body felt momentarily weightless, going into freefall. As gravity and Belial's strength sent her back, her hips slammed with the full force of her weight onto his hips, sending in a massive shockwave through her body. Her consciousness exploded with sheer pleasure. He continued the cycle in rapid succession, like a blacksmith rhythmically hammering on his anvil, sending shockwave after shockwave more than she could physically or mentally handle.

For that moment, she was a slave to her pleasure. She wanted nothing else but to feel it. She did not care how humiliating her position had to be or what Belial had to do to her in order to get it; she cared only that she got it. She could hear his voice calling her name. Her eyes rolled back and her mouth was left agape, moaning and dripping with drool. She realized it; her very being was corrupted into something that craved nothing else but to have Belial's essence etched into her soul. Her vision faded, her head went numb, and she was rendered unaware of how it ended.

"Djeeta... Djeeta..."

"Djeeta! Djeeta! You're finally awake!" she heard Belial say as she opened her eyes. "I can't believe you fainted midway!"

"Wha... what happened?" she asked, trying to remember. She could only recall fragments, to which she flushed red with embarrassment.

"You were out cold for hours so I did your share of the whole rare item business." Belial brought out a large bag filled with all sorts of rare-looking trinkets and potentially useful items.

"Good job!" she said. "I knew I could count on you! That's reason number four."

They walked back to the airship, her legs still shaking from the whole experience. Djeeta offered to carry some of the bags but Belial insisted he carry all of them, noting her inability to walk straight. All the crew members with bags went below deck to load their cargo. Once all the crew had been accounted for, it was time to depart.

"All hands on deck," she said with a commanding voice. "Start the engines and prepare for lift..."

She could not finish her last command. She felt a sharp pang hit her in her stomach. She clenched her body tightly as the pain seated her on the deck.

"Captain, are you alright?" asked Rackam, alarmed by the sudden situation.

She could feel it. Something was coming from her throat. She zipped past Rackam with a burst of speed and grabbed the side of the hull. There, she heaved and unloaded all the contents of her stomach. A few minutes later, she was done, her eyes tearing up in pain. She realized what it was and her eyes widened in shock.

The nearby crew, Rackam and Katalina included, was sent in shock and wonder. Questions began to fill their heads. Could it be airsickness? The airship had not even lifted off yet. What kind of captain gets airsick anyway? Was it something she ate? Was she poisoned? Is she...?

Upon asking the last question, Katalina had arrived at a grim realization as she looked upon her captain in horror. It was the only question that made sense. Still, she took it upon herself to be the one to ask the captain directly. She helped Djeeta up and gripped firmly on her shoulder.

"Whose is it?" asked Katalina with a serious look on her face. Djeeta looked aside. She was aghast at how quickly Katalina arrived at the same conclusion and asked the most biting of questions. She could not bear the sight of Katalina's face. She did not want to answer the question. She knew that Katalina already knew and only wanted her to say it out loud.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Whose is it? Answer me!" she yelled. "You know damn well what I'm talking about! It's from that vermin of a fallen angel, isn't it, Djeeta?"

"Do NOT call him vermin in my presence, Katalina!" replied Djeeta with her own serious voice to match Katalina's. "You shall not insult him any further!"

"So it's true, huh? You fell for that vermin's charm, the vermin that plagued this airship for the past few months. I can't believe you actually did it with that snake..."

A sharp slap on Katalina's face cut her off mid-sentence. Djeeta looked at her furiously. That slap was all the confirmation Katalina needed. That slap was all it took to explain to Rackam the entire situation.


	5. Disbelief

Rumors about Djeeta and Belial floated among the crew of the Grancypher. They were either too respectful or too afraid to ask the leaders or even the people directly involved in the matter, though it seemed one rather carefree soul was more than happy to have heard about it.

"Are the rumors true, Djeeta?" asked Lyria bluntly with an obviously excited look on her face. "When is it coming? Is it a boy or a girl? Thought of any names yet?

"Yes, not anytime soon, I don't know yet, and not yet," answered Djeeta as plainly as she could manage.

Lyria gave Djeeta a warm hug. It was a heartfelt embrace, one with sincerity and kindness, much like its giver. Djeeta reciprocated and gave Lyria a light pat on the head. As she stroked her bright blue hair, she felt only happiness, eliminating all fear and worry from her heart.

Djeeta broke off from the hug and smiled at Lyria. The latter smiled back. The former gazed upon her eyes, wondering how such a girl with a troubled past bore such naïvete, such absence of malice.

"Captain, are you there?" asked Katalina's voice from behind the door. "I need to talk to you about something in private."

Katalina entered the room, promptly patting Lyria on the head. Lyria then left the captain and the lady knight behind before closing the door behind her. The knight opened a pouch from her belt and drew a piece of paper from it and gave it to her captain.

"What's this?" asked Djeeta.

"It's my resignation letter," replied Katalina. "I'm leaving the Grancypher."

For a split-second, Djeeta was unable to process what she just heard. It was like a sword strike to her chest that she was unable to parry. When she realized the seriousness behind Katalina's words, she abruptly stood up from where she was seated. She clenched her fists, crushing the letter in her hands. Tears welled up in her eyes that glared at Katalina.

"Why?"

"This is my apology for yesterday's behavior. I shouldn't've acted that way towards you, towards my captain."

"Don't leave! You can't leave!"

"You don't expel members but this is voluntary resignation. I'm leaving of my own will."

Djeeta wrapped her arms around Katalina, not minding both their armor pieces a single bit. Katalina has been with Djeeta ever since the beginning of their journey together with Lyria. She had been one of her trusted companions. She could not bear the thought of losing the crew member who had been the very catalyst of her career as a captain of an airship.

"I forgive you!" she cried tearfully. "Just... please... stay. If it's about Belial, we can work something out!."

"No, captain. It's not about you or Belial. It's... about me."

"I don't understand! What do you mean by tha..."

Without saying a single word, Katalina silenced Djeeta with a kiss. Djeeta's teary eyes widened in shock. The kiss sent her mind into confusion but as she dredged through her memories, everything fell into place. Katalina's hostility towards Belial, her apparent concern for her captain, her anger when she discovered the truth...

Djeeta, out of respect for her companion, did not break the connection. She, however, felt that it was lacking. It was far gentler than what she was used to. Her lips were far softer, her embrace more tender. Her tender fingers brushed against her cheek as she wiped off Djeeta's tears. Katalina was a literal knight in shining armor after all, and a woman on top of that. It was expected of her to treat ladies like a gentleman would.

But Djeeta wanted more. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the kiss she was being given but she could not find that sensation she was looking for. An insatiable feeling was burning inside of her. She was searching for something to quell that very feeling, deeper and deeper, her tongue even moving in to brush against Katalina's lips. She dragged Katalina's face even closer. She could almost find it...

Katalina broke away, panting heavily. She looked at her captain in amazement and disbelief as she wiped off the drool from her lips with her cape. Djeeta's eyes looked back at her, but not in shock. Those eyes had the look, not of sadness, but of disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Djeeta," said Katalina. "I didn't mean to..."

"No," retorted Djeeta. "I'm the one who should apologize."

An awkward silence befell the two for a minute, briefly interrupted by sobs. Djeeta sat back on her bed. It was then that she spoke again. Her heart sank.

"If... if you really have to leave... I guess I can't stop you."

"Thank you, captain," replied Katalina. "By the time the Grancypher docks, I'll be gone. Please... take care of Lyria for me." With a swoosh of her cape, she turned by the heel and left through the door.

Djeeta collapsed back onto her bed, grabbing a pillow and nestling it in her arms. She touched her lips, which were still moist from Katalina's saliva. Her mind raced with her memories from her adventuring with her. "Since when?" she heard herself ask.

She shook her head to clear herself of thoughts, leaving all but one behind. The fiery feeling within her had yet to subside. She held on to that one thought and leapt out of her bed. She clenched her fist as though holding that one last thought within it.

She navigated her way through the lower decks and towards her destination. Her path was clear to her now. In front of her was a door. It was the door to Belial's room. She gave it three knocks.

"Come in," the fallen angel inside asked. Djeeta swallowed, heaved a breath, and opened the door.


End file.
